Great - I've Been Caught

[YorkieLover9]

As some of you may know, the owner/landlord of my rental house has a NO DOG policy so my little Beau has been a "secret" all this time. Well, wouldn't you know, this weekend, my disposal broke AND the pilot went out on my hot water heater. So I made arrangements for my best friend to babysit Beau today at her house so I could get the owner/landlord over to fix these two problems. I went around last night hiding any evidence of a dog and then made a phone call to the owner/landlord asking him to send someone out today (as I knew Beau would be somewhere else). He decides in the interim, that he would send his wife down to my house with a allen wrench to try to get the disposal going again, about the time he's telling me this on the phone that she is on her way down, she's knocking on my door and what happens when someone knocks on your door, the dog barks. He says, is that a dog I hear and I said yes, I'm babysitting him this weekend, his parents should be here any time. Well at this point I couldn't possibly say it was the television as his wife is at my backdoor and she can hear him too. So I just picked him up and opened the door and got the wrench from her.

I feel like I've committed the worst crime ever. Now I think he's really going to be suspicious. All he has to do now is go knock on my door some time during the day while I'm gone to confirm his suspicions now and to see if I was lying about babysitting. Probably get evicted for having a dog. This is hard for me as I'm always someone who "follows the rules".

[PinkMartini]

Oh man, that stinks... I have a friend who got kicked out of her apt for having a dog too, thankfully she was able to find a new place asap. Do you have a backup plan, just in case?

[YorkieLover9]

Well, I've been looking for about a month now as I've planned to move for a while as the rent is just too expensive. getting. Would it be an eviction for having a dog, or just breaking the lease (well actually their is no lease, it's month to month)?

I don't know. So many places here so not pet friendly. Cats are okay, but NO DOGS.

[Ilovebaby]

I guess you can always look on the bright side: You have a small dog so you can always live in your car!! Just kidding. Good luck with finding a new place! Everything in life happens for a reason!

[YorkieLover9]

That's what I was thinking. My car is nicer than some of the rentals I'm finding, lol. I live by the philosophy as well, it was meant to happen that way. What's the worst that could happen, he gives me 30 days, he keeps my 800.00 deposit.

I'm not giving up my dog.

[DomLee]

There are places that accept small dogs. Just have to start looking now, as you will need a backup plan in case your landlord decides to give you the boot.

Good luck.

[YorkieLover9]

I noticed you live in So Cal, where abouts? I have been looking for a cheaper rent and pet friendly places for about a month. I check the Press Telegram every day, the Penny Saver every Wednesday and I usually spend 30 - 1 hour every evening after work cruising the streets looking for For Rent Signs.

Where are these Pet Friendly Places???

[SoCalyorkiLvr]

Yorkielover9 Read the thread "No Dogs Allowed" to find out about the service animals allowed anywhere under the Americans with Disabilities Act. This is exactly the kind of situation where it migh t help ypu in either staying where you are or finding a new place and not disclosing the dog until after you move in because, by law, they cannot refuse to rent to someone because they are "disabled" and have a service animal.

If anyone in your house has a disability that the dog can assist you with then you can use it and make your dog a service animal.

Good Luck.

[Iluvmybella]

I work in Property Management and if there is a dog found you have to be given at least 30 days notice to move. I'm not sure how it is where you live, but he can't just kick you out tonight. Also he can't keep your deposit for that reason. Good Luck with that!

[Milo]

Originally Posted by YorkieLover9

Well, I've been looking for about a month now as I've planned to move for a while as the rent is just too expensive. getting. Would it be an eviction for having a dog, or just breaking the lease (well actually their is no lease, it's month to month)?

I don't know. So many places here so not pet friendly. Cats are okay, but NO DOGS.

That's a tough one. Unfortuately, that is right for eviction. First they'll have to give you a 3 day notice(get rid of the dog or quit) Then they'll have to give you a 30 day notice(to move out) if you don't leave, then they'll file eviction papers. ( I used to own rental property so I'm pretty familiar with the rental Laws in CA. each county is different) They're some 'zines in So. cal that you can find at the vet or certain pet shops that do have listings for 'pet friendly' rentals. Yes, rent can be high. It's crazy. Lucky enough a yorkie is small and that can be in your favor. The insurance rate is VERY High when you rent to someone with dogs. That's why people don't want pets in their building. For some breeds(rots, pits, ect.) the insurence company won't even cover it. Perhaps you can see if you can get renters Insurance to cover any damge( biting, ect.) and maybe the landlord would accept it and let you keep your dog.

[amy hori]

You are kind of my neighbor. I live in belmont shores and there are so many pet friendly rentals. And there are a lot of places with reasonable rent that take dogs. I went to westside rentals. They also have a web page. I had a lady helping me that found all of these pet friendly places. Hope that helps a little.

[YorkieLover9]

I checked out the website, you have to pay 60.00 to get a list of rentals. I've considered the Belmont Shore area.

[DomLee]

For rentals, I recommend www.craigslist.org (Los Angeles section).

Areas that seem to be more dog friendly:

South Bay (Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach)
Long Beach
Marina Del Rey
Santa Monica
Venice
Torrance
South Pasadena
Pasadena

I would definitely use craigslist,...as this is how my girlfriend and I found our current place. Also...Santa Monica/Venice is a great place to look because of rent control. I just recently moved from Redondo Beach to South Pasadena (I miss the beach!).

And as SoCalyorkiLvr mentioned...definitely read the "No Dogs Allowed" thread (specifically the 2nd page). http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/sho...8&page=2&pp=15

This 2nd thread entitled "Where do you go" offers some similar and good info as well.
http://yorkietalk.com/forums/showthr...ht=service+dog

[orinskye]

i was going through the "illegal dog in the apartment" for a while too..... we have paid a $500 pet deposit now, so my stress level went WAY DOWN, but i would suggest looking online for apartments, you will be surprised..... i found my apartment complex "avalon apartment communities" online through rent.com (and i got $100 from rent.com for using their website ) a lot of places state "small animals only" and yorkies would be considered a small animal .......
SOCALYORKIELOVR......... i am interested in youre post, does an animal have to have a certain temperment to be a service dog????? I have arthritus really bad, and i suffer from migrains a lot, but since ive gotten toby he has been a nice "stress reliever" and i dont them nearly as often..... hes not the calm kind of pet you picture a service dog being but with my health problems could he be considered one????
(the reason i ask is because we also have to pay $35 a month extra in pet rent, and if he were a service animal we wouldnt need to)

[YorkieLover9]

I search Craigs List every day. Where is Avalon? Maybe I should give my 30 days notice before he has a chance to give me 30 days (assuming that he finds out for sure I have a dog), but then if I do that, and don't find something, then I'm for sure "homeless". But I'll have my puppy!!!!